Mistakes
by Ember grieves for Aspen
Summary: Challenge for Stormclan. Crookedwing loves his son with all his heart, but the story behind him is a little more sad than most kits.


Mistakes

Crookedwing looked down at his only living kit. He smiled at the small black tom. His kits face was covered in curosity. He wanted to ask a question.

" Father, I have a question. Why is mother not alive and why did Mousekit die?"

Nightkit asked.

Crookedwing couldn't answer. Not to such an inoccent mind, free of the poison of death.

" When your older. You'll understand one day when I tell you" He said sadly. Nightkit knew not to disturb for more answers.

" Anyway, its dark now, run back to Cloudfang, so she can ready you for bed" Crookedwing smiled, even though he felt sad thinking about his mate and daughter.

Crookedwing licked his son's forehead and sent him to the nursery, a hole in the other side of the cave. Maybe it was time to have a peek at the present Lilyflower gave him when they first met.

The sandy tom wondered into the warriors den. He went over to his nest and scooped out a pawfull of feathers. Underneath the feathers lay a clean polished clear stone, green in color. He remebered her so well.

 _He sneaked out of camp to see his friend. Six seasons ago he met Lilyflower. She was a young she-cat from Bayclan. Crookedwing was apart of CaveClan. They lived in the wide tunnel systems in the cliffs and dunes. He was pleased to see her again._

 _The fights between the two clans had been brutal and bloody. He needed to know she was ok. He came to the top of the cliff. Down on the beach below sat Lilyflower. Her tan fur gleamed in the setting sun._

 _Crookedwing limped down the cliff path. His old injury bothered him. He leaped down onto the sand. Lilyflower turned around and smiled sweetly. She walked over to him and they he licked her forehead._

 _"_ _Hello again, Are you ok from the last battle?" He asked her worried. She smiled. Her purple eyes shined._

 _"_ _I'm more than ok' Lilyflower purred. " I have some wonderful news!" Crookedwing's eyes lit up like the sun._

 _"_ _I'm having your kits!" She purred happily into his ear. The words took a moment to sink in._

 _"_ _Really!?" He asked astatic. She nodded. He couldn't believe it!_

 _"_ _I have a present for you. I found it on the beach, it was smooth and perfect and i thought you would like it" She said. Lilyflower lifted up her paw and showed him the smooth glass stone, shaped by the sea._

 _He picked it up and stood up. " I have to go know my dear, Thank you so much!" He purred in her ear._

 _He slowly walked away from her as she walked towards the BaylClan border. She was so kind and gentle._

 _He would keep this stone forever._

 _The gathering was bustling with talk. Lilyflower came over to him, her belly was round. Her face was warm and gentle. " I'm glad to see you again so soon" She whispered. They sat next to each other until, Duneclaw came over._

 _"_ _Hello there my dearest" He said to Lilyflower. This tom was obviously her pretend mate._

 _"_ _The gathering has began!" Moonstar, leader of Caveclan began. She nodded to the leader of Bayclan, Crabstar. His face looked angry._

 _"_ _I have a bone to pick with a paticular tom in you clan…." Crabstar looked around the clearing. Every cat went quiet._

 _"_ _I want him to give himself over easy, so him and his ' mate' won't get hurt" He finished. Moonstar laughed._

 _"_ _You've lost it! No cat from your clan is having one of my warriors for no reason! And which tom is it and what did he do?" Moonstar asked a little more serious._

 _"_ _You want to know the traitor do you? Well your clan will be bathed in shame! The crime this tom has committed is having a mate from another clan!" Crabstar barked and looked in Lilyflower's and Crookedwing's direction._

 _"_ _What do we do?" He whispered to her. She shook her head. Worry creased her face. " Run, you need to run…" She whispered sadly. What did she mean._

 _"_ _What do you mean run?" He whispered back. " Just do it… please if they catch you now, they will kill you.." She half cried._

 _He had to do something. If he ran they would surely hurt her. He had to own up._

 _"_ _It was me!" He yelled he stood in front of Lilyflower protectivley. " If I give in now, you can't hurt her!" He growled._

 _All of his clan looked at him in shock and shame. His mother looked terrified. His brother shook his head and his sister cried on her mate's shoulder._

 _Crabstar nodded and smiled. Not a very nice smile. " You can't take one of my best warriors!" Moonstar growled. Crabstar nodded._

 _Moonstar gave the order to attack. Crookedwing grabbed Lilyflower with his tail. The two of them fled through the battle field ,a group of cats hot on their heels. They reached a rabbit burrow and dived inside._

 _Lilyflower moaned. " Are you ok?" He asked worried to death she was hurt. " T-the kits.." She trailed off as she groaned and lay down. The warriors were inavding the burrow._

 _His only goal was to keep his loved one alive._

 _A ginger tom came sweeping through the tunnel. He lunged at Crookedwing catching his ear. his claws connected with the tom's muzzle. They yowled as he pinned them down and grabbed the toms neck._

 _The tom went limp in his jaws. Next a brown she-cat came up behind him and attacked Lilyflower. Crookedwing Yelled he clawed her away fiercley. Lilyflower's flank was bleeding heavily._

 _Crookedwing looked at the small tan kit before him. Lilyflower was still in pain. Another kit was coming._

 _Soon, Duneclaw came thundering down. He was angry. He would almost definatley kill Lilyflower for all of her betrayl. The calico tom leaped round the corner and lunged at Lilyflower. Crookedwing deflected the hit with a well aimed blow._

 _The two toms wrestled through the tunnel. The calico tom was trying to separate her from him. Crookedwing pinned the tom down. Just before he thought he could win, the tom threw him off and winding him._

 _The tom came up and pinned him down. " You'll pay for what you have done…" The angry tom screeched. Duneclaw prepared for a death blow to the neck._

 _"_ _NO!" Lilyflower leaped indetween them. Duneclaw's teeth connected with her neck._

 _Lilyflower was dead._

 _"_ _No! no no no no!" Screeched as he looked at her dead body. Duneclaw looked shocked. He ran back to the exit and left, crying as he did._

 _Crookedwing cried over her dead body. He heard the panic mewling of kits. Up ahead, a tiny black kit crawled around. The tan kit was dead, its head rolled limp._

 _He groomed the bedraggled mess, it was the last thing he had from her ever._

 _He picked up the kit and ran through the tunnel and into the frosty cold night._

Crookedwing would never forget her. He would look after Nightkit with his life. His new clan loved Nightkit as much as he did.

He began to settle down to sleep, the green stone in his paw.

And the sweet, sweet smell of Lilyflower came to him, just as she did every full moon.


End file.
